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When they were prospects: Longoria

Rays third baseman moves from No. 2 ranking in '08 to AL Rookie of Year

It was pretty clear why Evan Longoria was ranked by MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo as baseball's No. 2 prospect in 2008 when the Rays called him up just two weeks into the season. He promptly hit .272 with 27 home runs in 122 games en route to winning the American League Rookie of the Year Award and helping the upstart Rays reach the World Series.

As we gear up for the unveiling of MLB.com's Top 100 Prospects for 2015 -- which will be revealed on MLB Network and MLB.com at 9 p.m. ET on Friday -- we're looking back at what was written about some of today's superstars back when they were still on prospect lists.

Evan Longoria, 3B, Rays
No. 2 on 2008 Top 50

When they were prospects

With fewer than 200 professional games under his belt, Longoria appears ready for the big leagues. He made it to Triple-A in his first full season and has shown the ability to hit for average and power in his brief pro career. Defensively, he's got good hands and a strong arm at third base.

Players who come out of Long Beach State seem to have pretty good heads on their shoulders and know how to play the game the right way (see Tulowitzki, Troy). Longoria definitely fits that mold and his makeup and work ethic are off the charts. That should enable him to get to the big leagues, and stay there, in short order. It's not guaranteed, but it's hard to imagine he won't make the 2008 big league roster as the Opening Day third baseman, pushing Akinori Iwamura to second base.

Read More: Tampa Bay Rays, Evan Longoria